A Story Evolves

I have always been fascinated by the turn of the 20th Century living. When librarian-poet, Diane Mayr, posted her topic for Day 22 of Laura Shovan's 9th Annual February Poetry Project, I immediately started to research what medicine was like during past eras. As a collector of antique and vintage items, I was eager to find out more about Lydia  E. Pingham and her vegetable compound. While digging into more articles, I started reminiscing on  research-based projects on daily life in New York State that I offered students. The goal of one of the cross-curricular mini-units was to recreate an old-fashioned apothecary counter filled with antique medicine bottles for a county-wide celebration.  The elementary building I worked in became a living village featured as a stop on the county tour. 

Castor Oil

Spirit of Figs

Cod Liver Oil

Blood Purifier

Bottles weathered

By time

Lined the shelves

Each promising

A dose of health

For human ailments.

Strong medicinal smells

Led curious minds to uncover 

Quackery or modern miracles.

©CV, 2021

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Today is Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

Join me as I gear up for Day 23's daily poetry prompt

and the March SOLSC #SOL21 Challenge.

Gray-Day Pondering

#InstaPoetry #MoPoetry2019

While friends and family indulge in cotton-ball countrysides filled with billowy snow, Long Island is wrapped in gray days ranging from frigid to not-so-cold temperatures. Nonetheless, there is a hushed, quiet beauty settling in.

☔☔☔

Incessant. swishing noises tap against window panes as morning tries to wake a sleepy neighborhood.  Flecks of rain bubble up in blotchy patterns and one bird calls out. Another gray-day appears with resounding noise announcing the continuance of stormy weather. 

Rainuary
pitter-pattering,

slick splattering

gutters filling
weather chilling

gray-day pondering
weathermen floundering-
morning mist
winter-kissed-
January
commentary
©CVarsalona, 2019
#InstaPoetry #MoPoetry2019

☔☔☔

While the weather may be unusual for January, my New Year has been brightened with an incoming shower of good wishes from fellow poetry friends, Michelle Kogan and Diane Mayr who sent me poetry postcards. It is always nice to receive mail from the mailman and these treats were special deliveries of poetic goodness.

Michelle posted the following image poem for MLK Day. I decided to showcase it at Monday night's #NYEDChat. The discussion centered on "Service Projects for Students and Teachers", a fitting title to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

I also extend my thanks to other Poetry Friday friends for their incoming contributions to my winter gallery, Winter's Embrace.

☔☔☔

The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by a favorite education friend of mine, Tara Smith, who recently retired and moved to live in upstate New York on a beautiful farm. 

Labor Day in Rockville Centre

Labor Day is always a festive holiday in my hometown. People celebrate with barbecues at the beach clubs or in their backyards. It is a time for families and friends to gather together, enjoy each other's company, and share remembrances of summer days. Since I live near the Long Island South Shore beaches, beaching is a topic of interest but the significance of Labor Day is usually not remarked upon so I decided to research the history. 

Each holiday or season I place antique postcards from my ephemera collection in the entranceway of my home as a decoration. Since I do not have a specific one for Labor Day, I searched the web and found the following image.

In 1894, Labor Day officially became a national holiday celebrating American workers and the labor movement. As the U.S. Department of Labor says, "It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." My grandparents, mother, and my husband's father were part of the workforce. I honor and celebrate their efforts. 

"Labour will refresh itself with hope."  

(a line from a vintage card)

One of my poet friends, Diane Mayr, wrote a blog post, "What Work Is," for Poetry Friday this week. You may be interested in reading the poem by Philip Levine that can be accessed  here.

On the beach of Coney Island (1901)

Parades and picnics have marked the passage of time since the turn of the 20th century. Beachgoers flock to the shore for the last days of summer vacation whether it is sunny or not, as noted by the above antique photo card. Beside Coney Island, Jones Beach that opened in 1929 is a popular place for beaching. 

While I thought I would not be a beachgoer today, my husband woke to the thought, "Let's go to the beach." Soon we will head out for the ritual trip to Point Lookout beach and then return to Rockville Centre for the annual Labor Day barbecue at the Rockville Links Club. Each year of my children's lives, we attended the festivities there. This year, my friends invited us to the barbecue that will bring back fond memories of the cotton candy cart, grilled hot dogs, an array of different foods, and a table of rich desserts. Enjoy your Labor Day holiday. I know I will.

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity.

-Martin Luther King, Jr. 

3rd Snowfall

Snow is a seasonal pleasure when it first falls. On Long Island, we expect snow in winter but this year, the marshmallow world sight appeared early, in late fall. As snowfall #3 came this weekend, Long Island news repeatedly reported it as the one week earlier to the official start of winter happening.

With the hurried pace of the holiday season and another busy weekend passing, I turn my thoughts to snow poetry, recalling dainty white flakes that descended during the three snowfalls. In between decorating and entertaining, I creatively captured the falling snow as a harbinger of winter. 

Snowfall #1

Mentor Text:  

Snow  by Frederick Seidel

Snow is what it does.

It falls and it stays and it goes.

It melts and it is here somewhere.

We all will get there. 

Seidel's poem is simple in its presentation and language but complex in meaning. I pondered what Seidel meant with his precise wording. Words like fall, stays, and goes stood out. I questioned was the poem about the cyclical nature of the season or the cycle of life?

When the third snowfall tiptoed in on on the heels of number two, I realized that Mother Nature was readying Long Island for the next season and so I wrote.

Snowfall
Snow is a dancing gypsy,
falling in a pattern of gentle
movement from here to there.
It sparkles in its descent,
tiptoeing across lawns, searching
for a place to stay and blanket earth
with mounds of marshmallow puffs.
©CV, 2017

As quickly as it enters and makes its mark,

snow, like the tumbleweed, moves on in a

rhythmic pattern of nature's passing time.

©CV, 2017

Looking at the above image of snowfall #3,

I realized that life does indeed move on 

but I must pause to savor the beauty

that falls before my eyes.

 

Find time to savor life living moments
that fill your heart with joy!

It is hard to believe that another weekend passed and in only one more week Christmas is here. With all good intentions, I planned to send this post early to my Poetry Friday colleague, Diane Mayr, but alas, I am late to the Poetry Friday party. You can join me at Diane's site for the poetry roundup.  

For those waiting for the unveiling of my Autumn Ablaze Gallery, it is still in the drafting stage and will be released soon.

The ABCs of Summer

Where have the lazy, hazy days of summer gone? 

You, know the ones that make you shout for joy,

That slow down life with a relax-mode feel,

That carry you back to sunkissed summer moments. 

Let's Celebrate the ABCs of Summer!

Air conditioning during heat spells

Beach days by the sea
Camp Wonderopolis

Dog days of August 

Exercise outdoors

Fresh fruit from the market

Gardens of vibrant-colored flowers

Hikes with family

Ice cream under indigo skies

July 4th celebration

Kites flying at the beach

Lip-smacking summer corn

Melons that are ripe

Nature trails to walk

Ocean waves roaring

Picnic at Westbury Gardens

Quiet times listening to nature

Reading at the beach

Summer Poem Swap: #1, #3, #5

Trip to Cape May

Umbrellas in the rain

Vacationing with family

Watermelon tasting

eXploring "life living" moments

Yoga practice

Zen music
©CVarsalona, 2017  

All of the above are sunkissed moments 
brought joy to life during the Summer of 2017.
I will continue to celebrate the last weeks of the summer season
despite any obstacles in the way.
Here's to ending the season with a "full heart"
as Ruth Ayres, host of Celebrate This Week, says!

*The blue-colored font recalls various posts I wrote this summer season 

as a way to start sorting ideas for my Sunkissed Summer Gallery.

*Thanks to Diane Mayr for the inspirational spark and mentor text to create this ABC poem.

Cheesy Delight

July 14th is National Macaroni and Cheese Day. Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference is hosting Poetry Friday with an optional Mac-N-Cheese theme thanks to Diane Mayr for suggesting the idea. I decided to jump into the mixing bowl and find the cheesiest, creamiest, healthiest mac and cheese ensemble to grace my table. I turned to Chocolate Covered Katie who has been "voted the #1 blog for healthy comfort food recipes." Sure enough, Katie created a healthy, cheesy dish that sounds delicious, Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese. You can read the recipe here.

When my daughter was a child, she always asked my mother for grilled cheese. Macaroni and cheese was a favorite too. 

Today, I might think differently about a diet of cheese, now that I am a new grandmother.

Conversation

Lunch please-

gooey mac and cheese!

                                                                                        Healthy choice-

                                                                                        hear my voice.

Mac and cheese-

hurry please.

                                                                                        Mac, cheese,

                                                                                        spinach agrees.

Golden delight-

not green fright.

                                                                                       Give it a try

                                                                                       Do not cry.

Now enjoy reading Kenn Nesbitt's humorous poem, 
I'm Not Picky - A Funny Food Poem for Kids.

The next thing to do is try this delightful comfort food recipe. 

Unleash Creativity

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, 

breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” 

Mary Lou Cook

Have you ever felt the sheer joy of being in the "zone"? It is an exhilarating, creative state of mind. There is intensity of purpose as you mindfully create something that did not exist beforehand. This followed with revision, ends with a sense of accomplishment. Spontaneous joy is felt, creativity is unleashed and reflected upon. As you take a second look at what you accomplished, you realize that the outcome is worth the purposeful pursuit. 

Below you will find the slide presentation, "Unleashing Creativity - Finding Our Voice," showcasing the work of eight Molloy College graduate school students (seven teachers and one aspiring teacher) whom I taught during the 2017 Summer ELA Institute. While building their literacy toolkits, the educators explored resources and tools to integrate technology, digital media, creative thoughts and expand the ways educators engage students in writing. Being immersed in a creative culture of trust allowed creative thought to spontaneous burst open. The educators "played" with words and designed digipoetry and inspirational posters to unleash their creativity, be expressive and create digitally to impact learning lives and motivate writers. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with a group of dedicated and passionate Long Island educators on ways to engage students in writing through digital means. 

You can view the Google Slide presentation here.

Today's Poetry Friday is hosted by the haiku maven, Diane Mayr. You can find the Round-Up at Diane's site, Random Noodling.  

Talking about unleashing creativity, look at what Tabatha Yeatts has  penned for me in her Summer Poetry Swap. I am touched by the time and effort Tabatha took to personalize the following poem. This poem speaks of my work as the designer and curator of season galleries of artistic expressions. The sensory details that Tabatha has added makes me visualize the hundreds of poems that have been offered for the various galleries throughout the season. I send many thanks to Tabatha for creating such a lovely tribute to the seasonal work of designing artistic galleries that showcase a connection to nature through poetry, photography, technology, and art. 

Path of Joy

As I meander through the beginning of the year, I search for joy in the small and ordinary places of life. Even paperwork and household reorganization take on a new light when being guided by my one word, joy.  

Walking toward a path of joy is a heart-filled exploration of life.

Quiet places for me to find joy: 

-The original piano composition, The Joy of Little Things by Phantom Pianist 91

-Poetry, such as The Joy of Little Things by Robert William Service

It's good the great green earth to roam,

Where sight of awe the soul inspire;

But ho, it's best, the coming home,

The crackle of one's own hearth-fire!

You've hob-nobbed with the solemn Past;

You've seen the pageantry of kings:

Yet oh, how sweet to gain at last

The peace and rest of Little Things!

You can read the rest of the poem here.

-Quotations like "Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy." ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

-Writing, in this case, a Golden Shovel poem inspired by the above quote

Walking the road to learning,
I reflect on a lesson: to
find time to live
mindfully in
the world, to uncover the
brilliance of the present,
the sparkle of a moment-
a single quest that is
accomplished in part
as I feel the breath of
nature and richness of the
seasons traveling a path,
discovering the power of
one limitless word: joy!
©CV, 2017

-Receiving poetry postcards from from Linda Baie, Diane Mayr, Brenda Davis Harsham, and Bridget Magee at the #postcardXchange, initiative created by Jone MacCulloch

postcard poetry
peaceful words on writers' wings
tranquil messages
©CV, 2017

-Inviting all who are interested in creating digital poetry for my newest gallery, Winter Wonder 17, to access the invitation here.

Today, the Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by my poetry friend,

Violet Nesdoly. I'm off to find joy at Violet's blog,

Violet Nesdoly / poems. Will you join me?  

Thanks Linda Baie for the snowy Poetry Friday logo.

May your path be filled with joy.

Next week, please join me as I joyfully host Poetry Friday.

Heart Centering

Today during yoga class, in the dim light of the studio, my heart centered and connected with others. There was a sense of calm in the room as the teacher led us through a series of movements to find our balance and inner peace. It was just an ordinary day but the difference was in the feeling that I felt as I left the studio. As the day progressed, I was not swayed by the unexpected "stresses" of life. It was just an ordinary day but I observed it in an unordinary way for me-calmly throughout the entire day.  

The heart is at the center point of all beings-where the energies converge...where you connect with self and one another.

~Elissa Balabam

Throughout the day, I continued to feel the energy that emanated from my yoga practice. I created, designed, and moved closer toward the completion of my team's ILA 16 Conference presentation, amidst the usual household tasks. After many edits and arrangements, the flyer for the session was completed until just now. I sit here shocked that I missed one small edit that was needed but thanks to today's heart centering, I made it through one more rewrite. This is positivity at work.

When I first wrote the poem below, little did I know that it really was from my heart center. It found its way to a public forum as the backdrop for my Meet the Presenter page in the ILA 16 slide presentation. 

Spring is still in the air, despite the fact that we are now officially part of summer. Spring holds a special sentiment for me. Delighted, I examine the offerings for my gallery, Spring's Seeds, that will find its way into a gallery formation soon. For now, I read and write and think spring with poet Amy Lowell.

Spring Day

Related Poem Content Details

BY AMY LOWELL 

Bath The day is fresh-washed and fair, and there is a smell of tulips and narcissus in the air.
 The sunshine pours in at the bath-room window and bores through the water in the bath-tub in lathes and planes of greenish-white. It cleaves the water into flaws like a jewel, and cracks it to bright light.

Lowell moves throughout her day speaking of the spring in a calming but exuberant manner. She allows the reader to enter into her day and see spring through her eyes.  

In the fresh-washed sunlight, the breakfast table is decked and white. It offers itself in flat surrender, tendering tastes, and smells, and colours, and metals, and grains, and the white cloth falls over its side, draped and wide...

The rest of the text spills forth with Amy Lowell's pure love of a full spring day and ends with: 

Pale blue lavender, you are the colour of the sky when it is fresh-washed and fair . . . I smell the stars . . . they are like tulips and narcissus . . . I smell them in the air.

 You can read the Amy Lowell's Spring Day at Poetry Foundation here.   

Stay tuned for Spring's Seeds Gallery to be unveiled. While you are waiting, you can view digital seeds of inspiration at the hashtag, #SpringsSeeds, and watch the photolog video here. In the gallery, you will find the 2016 Progressive Poem and many other digital compositions that sprouted from seeds of inspiration. I hope you join me at my garden when I announce its opening. 

Now, please visit poet, librarian, researcher extraordinaire, Diane Mayr, at her site, Random Noodling, for today's Poetry Friday Round-Up.